


Toy

by Ursula



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-06-19
Updated: 2004-06-19
Packaged: 2019-02-05 14:15:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12796266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursula/pseuds/Ursula
Summary: How the three way in Sweet Stuff and La Dolce Vita came to be. Written  for Ruth in exchange for a first time writer story.





	Toy

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

Title: Toy

Author/Pseudonym: Ursula

Fandom: X Files

Pairing: Mulder/Skinner/Krycek

 

Rating: NC 17

 

Status: Finished part of the Sweet Stuff universe

Date Posted:

Archive: FHSA 

 

E-mail address for feedback: Fan4Richie or Ursula4X@aol.com

 

Classification: Slash, Discipline

 

Series/Sequel: Is this story part of a series: Prequel to La Dolce Vita and Sweet Stuff

 

Web Site: http://fullhouseslash.slashcity.net/~ursula/

 

Disclaimers: X Files Characters kidnapped for non profit fannish fun.

 

Notes: Written as a prize for a contest on

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlexK-H-C-orD/

This is the prize requested by Ruth. She wanted a story from the Sweet Stuff and La Dolce Vita universe.

 

 

Warnings: Discipline and role playing

 

Time Frame: After the X Files

 

 

 

 

 

Mulder was naked. 

 

Again.

 

The man was a pagan, a heathen worshipper of the sun these days. He lounged in the bay window seat, one golden leg lifted high to support the Lone Gunmen’s latest publication. 

 

“You really going?” Mulder asked.

 

“I can’t get out of it,” Walter said.

 

“Dear old Dad, impossible to kill,” Mulder said. “Where’s Alex when you need him?”

 

There was real pain in the caustic comment.

 

Mulder had hated Alex. Mulder had loved Alex. He couldn’t get over him.

 

Hell, Walter wasn’t over him either. Sometimes the right thing is the worst thing to do. Although he bet Alex had never struggled with that concept. Alex had been beautiful, brilliant, and ruthless. The boy was another reason to hate Spender. Spender had made him, broke him, forged him, and, in the end, had engineered his death.

 

Knotting his tie, Walter checked his appearance. He looked good. He was very presentable.

 

“You didn’t have to come along,” Walter commented.

 

Mulder reached down and put on his glasses, a silly affectation. He had the operation to correct his vision to twenty-twenty. He wore his reading glasses out of habit. Stark naked, he peered over his glasses and pretended to concentrate on his friends' version of the National Enquirer.

 

“You’re my master, Master,” Mulder remarked. “Of course, I had to go with you.”

 

“For a slave, you’re damn mouthy,” Walter said.

 

“You never complain about my mouth when I have it around your cock,” Mulder answered.

 

“Mulder, I don’t have time to spank you right now, boy.” Walter said.

 

His lover smirked and said, “I’ll take a rain check.”

 

“Be careful,” Walter said. “Stay put. This is Spender’s place. He owns every miserable soul on it.”

 

“Yeah, I know, and, if this is a trap, we walked into it,” Mulder said. He moved the paper to show me he had his Glock hidden beneath the paper.

 

Good boy.

 

OooOooO

 

The limousine stopped at Marita’s hotel. She came out, wearing a linen suit. It was even more expensive and cutting edge than those she used to wear. Marita had married well and her husband kept her in style. She didn’t need to work, but she was ambitious enough to hope to outlive the taint of her connections to the Project. She looked as unhappy to be here in Spender’s corner of the world as Walter was.

 

Any word about the girl?” Marita asked.

 

“No,” Walter answered. “Other than the rumor that Spender has found a ship and that another abduction victim remembers she was on it.”

 

“I find it convenient that Spender ‘found’ a ship that the President’s daughter may be on just when he is seeking recognition of a sovereign status from the United States for his pathetic little island,” Marita remarked. There was real venom in her voice.

 

“That’s Spender,” Walter said.

 

“I know,” Marita said, “Alex and I tried so hard to outsmart him, but he’s the devil.”

 

Walter said nothing. Marita had felt a great deal for Alex. And Walter had killed him.

 

OooOooO

 

Spender’s meeting room was an odd combination of luxury and singular bad taste.

 

The couch on which he sat seemed to have been taken from a museum, but the coffee table was full of clutter, ashtrays, charts, and humidors, presumably full of cigarettes.

 

Walter stood, his body pulled straight as if he was on inspection. Spender gestured at the plush sofa across from him and said, “Sit.”

 

“I’ll stand,” Walter said. “I won’t be staying long. You know why I am here. I want to know what kind of bullshit you are pulling now.”

 

“Now, now, AD Skinner, or whatever your title is now. Special Consultant on Alien Affairs? I am well aware you do know about affairs,” Spender said, his gloating tone burning along my nerves.

 

“Cut the crap,” Walter replied. “You want someone to go into that ship so you let slip that it may contain the president’s daughter.”

 

“Mulder and you have the experience,” Spender said.

 

“Mulder is out of this,” Walter replied. 

 

“You think you can stop him?” Spender asked, lifting his brow. 

 

“I know I can,” Walter answered and he was almost sure that he could. “I’ll go in and see, but what’s the price? I know there is always a price with you.”

 

“Ah, yes,” Spender said. “There’s a medication I need. You will fetch it out. There may be a trifle or two else that I want.”

 

“All right,” Walter agreed. “But I reserve the right to take out any and all of the human victims.”

 

“I may have some operatives inside,” Spender said, “My allies were becoming untrustworthy toward the end. They didn’t return merchandise I sent for repair.” 

 

“Fuck you, Spender,” Walter snapped. “My statement stands.”

 

“What if my employees wish to stay with me?” Spender asked.

 

“Then they can,” Walter replied, “if they are fools.”

 

“We’ll see,” Spender said. “Tell me, Walter, does my son still cry Alex’s name when you make love to him?”

 

Marita stopped Walter from punching Spender. The bastard. The fucking bastard . . .

 

OooOooO

 

Walter didn’t want Mulder to go with him, but there were areas where Walter still knew better than to test the limits of their game. Walter wanted to protect his lover, but Mulder was a man, the man Walter loved. If Walter tried to pull the reins too hard, he could lose Mulder. That was not on the agenda.

 

Doggett and Reyes waited for them outside. Even Marita was prepared, wearing a suit based on those developed for NASA, but with a few added protections against the Oiliens. Walter and Mulder struggled into their Star Wars like isolation suits and joined the others.

 

They had ten men and women besides the four former FBI agents. The soldiers were all members of the elite force that Walter commanded. Every one of the men and women here had seen combat in the Alien War. They knew what they faced and they were best prepared to survive anything the team found on the ship.

 

Spender’s chart led them to a deep harbor with a submarine base. The ship was waking from hibernation. Moisture dripped steadily from the walls, not water, something slimy and almost slick. Walter had no idea what it was.

 

Mulder swiped some of it into a collection pouch. He grimaced, his face distorted through the mask. “It almost feels organic, like body fluids.”

 

A crazy grin crossed Mulder’s face. He said, “Might make great lube!”

 

“No thanks,” Walter said. “Really, no thanks.”

 

“You think they’re dead?” Doggett said. “I hate those fucking things.”

 

A faint scratching noise alerted them. Mulder said, “It’s them.”

 

Reyes giggled. It must have been from one of the cheesy monster films that both Mulder and her loved. She stopped laughing when the creature leaped. She fell to one knee and fired at the same time as John. The nymph scrabbled toward them even after they blew its head from its shoulders.

 

“I really hate those things,” John said. Only it sounded more like he said ‘tings’.

 

“You’re repeating yourself,” Mulder said. There was still some rivalry left between the two X Files agents.

 

“Think that’s the only one?” John asked.

 

“I don’t think we’re that lucky,” Walter said.

 

They weren’t lucky. The next one went for Walter, straight for him as if programmed. He didn’t have his weapon up, didn’t have time to shoot. Monica pegged it before its claws raked him. Walter rolled and shot again until the thing stopped screaming and scrabbling along the floor towards him.

 

Monica offered Walter a hand, saying, “And they say all babies are cute.”

 

Walter gave her a look, accepted the hand, and continued on. These ships always made him shudder. They looked obscene, not manufactured, but grown. The slick wet walls made Walter ill as did the lights that pulsed here and there beneath the stone like material. Mulder thought that the ships might be partially organic. 

 

Honestly, Walter didn’t care. He didn’t pretend to understand the aliens. Walter didn’t want to understand them. He just wanted to kill them.

 

In a way, Walter was in his element. This was simple. There was part of Walter that craved direct combat. The blood was racing in his veins. Adrenaline was pumping in that addictive way. So much better than lies and half truths in a board room.

 

Here and there were shape shifters and mules that carried the oil based parasites. If Walter’s soldiers could tell that the person was a mule and they could hit them with one of the darts that they carried, they injected the antidote. The great thing about it was that it killed shape shifters so if they made a mistake, they were still reasonably safe.

 

There were at least forty hostages aboard, all in stages of waking from hibernation. Each of Walter’s people was equipped with the picture of the president’s daughter, but John found her. His voice announced the fact brusquely, but Walter knew that John felt it deeply. Knowing John Doggett, it wasn’t that he wanted to be the one who gained the president’s gratitude. He was glad to restore a child to grieving parents. Walter always wished he could have done the same for John.

 

Disposing of the aliens was a pleasure. Once the damn things were down, Walter always finished by burning them to prevent them from coming back to life. The smoke in the air added to the alien atmosphere of the ship, which was already strange enough to keep a coil of terror in Walter’s stomach.

 

Meticulously, Walter’s men searched the ship, making sure there was no trace of the aliens left, not so much as a strand of DNA.

 

After Walter gave the all clear, Spender arrived. He and his men went into what appeared to be a lab and took out a large amount of medical supplies. Walter suspected Spender was alive by artificial means and that he didn’t trust his own people to recover the supplies he needed. Either that or Spender put more trust in Walter’s elite force than in his mercenaries.

 

Walter leaned against the wall, watching him. Spender was searching for something, working controls to reveal niches in the lab that Walter would have not known were there. One of the niches held a young girl. She was silent, eyes wide with shock. Walter spoke to her gently and turned her over to Monica.

 

Spender said, “There’s no need for you to linger here, Mr. Skinner.”

 

“I’ll stay because you want me out of here. Why? What are you looking for?” Walter asked.

 

Spender said, “Nothing, just checking for more victims.”

 

Walter watched him place his hand on a smooth metal plate to open the niche in the wall. Walter went to one of the ones Spender had not opened. There was another of the vaults, this one empty. There was nothing but empty restraints and the drain for body fluids. Walter winced and closed it. 

 

Spender smiled in his cold manner and said, “As I said, nothing.”

 

Walter opened two more of the vaults, finding corpses in both. It killed him that they were too late to help the man and woman. Walter didn’t want to think about the suffering they had endured before they finally were released by death.

 

There was one last control plate. Walter placed his hand on it. 

 

Krycek lay inside. He was naked, not restrained. His one arm was crossed across his chest. The mutilated limb looked as if they had been working on it. The stump was longer than when Walter had last seen it and the skin seemed smoother. Alex was so still that Walter thought he was dead, but Alex opened his eyes when he touched him. 

 

“I didn’t think I had really ended it, Alex,” Walter said, “You’re as hard to kill as a cockroach.”

 

Alex’s expression didn’t change. Spender moved forward and said, “Remember our bargain.”

 

“As I recall, Alex wasn’t a happy employee,” Walter said. “Our bargain was that you could have back any of your own people that wanted to be released to you.”

 

“Alex, my dear, come here,” Spender said. “Come home with me. Here take my hand, my lovely toy.”

 

Alex stood, clumsily at first, but regaining his balance, he went to Spender, his face empty and took the offered hand.

 

“As you see, Alex had come to his senses and wishes to remain here under my protection,” Spender said. 

 

Not bothering to cover Alex, Spender led him out of the lab. Walter watched them go, not sure what he had seen or what he wanted to do.

 

OooOooO

 

As Spender walked out, Mulder arrived from somewhere with a child in his arms. He almost dropped the little boy when he saw Alex walk by.

 

“Krycek!” Mulder yelled. 

 

Alex didn’t even blink. Spender stopped, turning his former employee in our direction. He said, “Mulder, you can talk to the dear creature later. You and your Walter are invited to a celebration dinner.”

 

The wrinkled hand reached up and turned Alex’s face from side to side. “Alex is so formal and Krycek as a name is vulgar. I think I’ll give him a new name to mark our new lives together. I think I will call him 'Toy'.”

 

His fingers caressing Alex’s face, Spender almost purred as he said, “Toy, Toy, do you like your new name?”

 

“Yes, Master,” Alex said. “Thank you, Master.”

 

Mulder looked as if he was about to puke. He reached out and caught Alex’s arm and said, “You don’t have to go with him.”

 

Alex’s face finally showed some expression. His eyes widened and his lips parted. “Mulder?” he said, his voice dropping to a husky register that was sexy as hell. “Mulder?”

 

“Yeah,” Mulder replied. 

 

Looking at Walter, Mulder said, “Why are you going with Spender? You never liked him.”

 

“He loves me,” Spender said forcefully. He tugged Alex away from Walter’s lover and caught his chin again. “Drop to your knees, Toy.”

 

Alex obeyed, gracefully, beautifully, bending his neck in subjugation. Spender said, “Would you like to have my cock in your mouth right here?”

 

“Yes, Master,” Alex said.

 

That was enough. Walter said, “Spender, you do it and I swear I will take my gun and blow your brains all over the wall of this fucking ship.”

 

Walter saw by Spender’s expression that he believed him. Spender’s hand jerked away from his fly and he pulled Alex to his feet, dragging him along. Alex looked back at Mulder once.

 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Mulder muttered, his fists balled tightly.

 

“Let it go, Mulder,” Walter said.

 

“Walter, please, we can’t let him do this,” Mulder begged.

 

“I know,” Walter replied.

 

“We’ll deal with Spender later,” Walter added. “We have other victims that need our help. Alex will have to wait.”

 

OooOooO

 

The dinner invitation arrived two days later. Walter had arranged for the victims to be flown back to their native countries. Doggett and Reyes took the President’s daughter back personally. She was doing well, surprised to hear her father had become President. 

 

Walter felt they owed that young lady a great deal. Because of her loss, President Cooper had believed and given Mulder and him the support necessary to clean their house and fight the aliens openly. Walter admitted that they owed Alex Krycek as well. After his apparent death, Walter found a disk hidden where Alex had been seated. The disk gave Mulder and Walter most of the information they needed to oust the conspirators within the government and its agencies. Alex also gave them hard won hints on how the aliens could be defeated. He explained nothing about the actions that led to his murder, his execution at Walter’s hands. He told nothing of why he had threatened Mulder and tortured Walter, just claimed he loved them both.

 

 

OooOooO

 

As Walter tied Mulder’s tie for him, he stopped to kiss his cheek. Mulder leaned into Walter and took his arm, wrapping it firmly about him. “I love you, Walter.”

 

“I know,” Walter said.

 

“I could never love Alex the way I love you,” Mulder added.

 

“Nor could you love me the way you love him,” Walter said.

 

Looking distressed, Mulder said, “It’s not that I ever intended to love him. God knows if I could have chosen. . .”

 

“You probably would have chosen to love Scully the way you love Alex and myself,” Walter finished for him.

 

“There’s that,” Mulder admitted. “What the hell are we going to do?”

 

“See what your father wants,” Walter said. “He’s up to something.”

 

“Always,” Mulder agreed. He winced and said, “Bill Mulder was never the man I wanted him to be, but I never expected to loathe my own father the way I loathe Spender. I can’t understand what my mother saw in him.”

 

“Perhaps he was her Krycek,” Walter said.

 

“There was a good side to Alex,” Mulder said. “He helped us as often as he hurt us. He did the best he could with Spender pulling his strings. He would have hated to see himself on that man’s leash.”

 

“I know,” Walter said. “Come on. We may as well face the music.”

 

OooOooO

 

Spender had decorated the dining room in a Roman theme, complete with muscle bound guards in tunics and armor. The servers wore little and some of his guests felt free to grope them as they darted in and out to place dishes on the table.

 

Next to Spender’s throne like chair, Alex knelt on a push, round rug. He was naked except for a thin collar of gold and jade. Even looking closely, Walter couldn’t tell that the left arm wasn’t real. Tonight, Spender must have wanted Alex to appear flawless as a living piece of art.

 

Alex’s eyes were cast down and his head bent in submission except when Spender fed him like a dog.

 

“What did you do to him?” Mulder asked, his rage evident in his voice.

 

Walter hoped his lover could control himself. Those guards didn’t look as if they would be gentle enforcers of Spender’s will.

 

“Why, Mulder, don’t you like him this way?” Spender asked, fondling Alex’s hair. “I was tired of his defiance and I asked my allies to assist. Their first effort was a miserable failure. I sent him back like a broken toy for repair, but they neglected to return him. He managed to sabotage their ship, sinking it here before they finished their work. He was defiant, but that imperfection is now corrected. I suppose he hoped he could either escape in the wreck or die in it, but instead he remained trapped aboard until the ship went into sleep mode. It took me years to track it down. You should congratulate my efforts.”

 

“Congratulations,” Walter said grimly.

 

“Let’s leave,” Mulder said. He looked at Alex and bit at his lip. “Spender, why do this? You know he’ll turn on you. You can’t tame him.”

 

Reaching down, Spender lifted Alex’s chin, making him raise his eyes. “Look at him. He’s mine now. I haven’t decided what to with him yet. Perhaps I’ll whore him out after I tire of him.”

 

“You can’t do that,” Mulder argued.

 

“I can do whatever I like with him,” Spender said, smirking at Mulder and Walter. “Perhaps I’ll cut off his other arm and make him my living Venus de Milo."

 

Walter threw his napkin on the table, grabbed Mulder’s arm and walked out.

 

As they got into their car, Mulder said, “I can’t stand seeing him like that. I know I shouldn’t feel anything for him, but I do.”

 

“I know,” Walter agreed. “Mulder, Spender wants something. If we play his game long enough, he’ll tell us. That’s how he is. I know him well.”

 

“Walter, about Alex . . .” Mulder said.

 

“What about him?” Walter asked. He smiled and patted Mulder’s leg. “I’d rather have a living, breathing Alex in our bed than have vain regrets and his ghost between us.”

 

“Walter,” Mulder said, unhappily, “I know I’m asking too much.”

 

“Let’s be honest, Mulder,” Walter said. “He was my lover before he was yours. I won’t be giving anything up if we get him away from Spender. I can accept Alex with you if that’s what you both want, but I think it will be a three way.”

 

“Yeah,” Mulder said.

 

“But first we need to deal with Spender,” Walter reminded.

 

Mulder’s expression suggested that he had not only stepped in dog shit, but splashed it high.

 

“I never thought I would make any bargains with that old bastard,” Mulder said. “But we can’t let him do that. Not to anyone. Not even Alex.”

 

“Especially not Alex,” Walter corrected. “Time to be honest. Time to take him back where he really belonged from the beginning.”

 

“I love you, Walter,” Mulder said.

 

“I love you, too,” Walter replied.

 

OooOooO

 

Mulder couldn’t sleep. Even after frantic lovemaking, he tossed and turned until he gave up, getting out of bed. Walter found him back at that bay window in their suite, long legs stretched out and his back to the wall. He was wearing his boxers this time, his elegant fingers splayed over the considerable bulge in his silken underwear. Walter saw that his lover was half hard again. He had the feeling that Mulder wasn’t thinking of him.

 

Oddly Walter’s reaction was to feel glad that Alex had turned up. Having a living, breathing man in his bed would be better than the ghost that had always been a third presence in their relationship. To be honest, it wasn’t just Mulder’s problem. What he had felt for Alex had not been erased. Making love to him had been an addiction and seeing Alex opened the door to the past and brought all of that back.

 

Mulder lifted away from the wall and said, “Room for two.”

 

There wasn’t much room, but Walter squeezed in behind his lover, buried his face in all that wild hair and let his hand reach around to play gently with Mulder’s nipple. Mulder arched back against him, sighing as if comforted.

 

“Is this going to work if we get him back?” Mulder asked. “I’m not willing to risk losing you.”

 

“It will work,” Walter said. “And it will be good for us. Good for you because I’m going to take the easy part. I’ll be his lover if he still wants me, but you’re the one that’s going to have to take that shattered creature and rebuild him. I don’t imagine that it will be easy if he snaps out of it either. Alex and you have a lot in common, bull headed, impulsive, thinking that you’re the only one that knows or can act on a problem.”

 

“So you’re hoping that he gives me as much trouble as I’ve given you?” Mulder asked, wry humor sparkling in his words.

 

“Just maybe,” Walter said. 

 

“The gift that keeps on giving,” Mulder said. He snuggled back and said, “But I make it up to you. I’m good with you.”

 

“You certainly are good for me. I wouldn’t trade a minute,” Walter replied. His head rested back against the wall.

 

Waking was a matter of aching neck, screaming back, and numb legs. They had fallen asleep together, crammed into that window seat. Mulder was standing there, looking at him, and offered a hand. Walter took it and said, “So much better than going back to that comfortable bed.”

 

“There’s that,” Mulder replied. “I’ll give you a back rub later. I wouldn’t have slept at all without you.”

 

Somehow that took away some of the pain.

 

OooOooO

 

Midmorning, a servant brought another invitation from Spender. Dinner with the spider, Walter thought, and he felt like the fly. Mulder expressed his feelings by tearing the vellum card in pieces, but Walter knew they would go.

 

Linen suits bought for the muggy weather of this island in Bermuda weren’t quite identical, but Mulder’s was just one shade of tan lighter than Walter’s. Walter thought they looked wonderful together, but he always thought that.

 

Spender wore a light weight suit as well, but it still looked rumpled. Everything seemed to take on a tawdry nature as soon as it touched him. Everything except Alex.

 

Nothing had much changed. Alex was still naked, still collared in a fashion that Walter would have found arousing if it was for a play scenario. Knowing the collar was real made Walter sick. He didn’t want to look at Alex, but it was hard to keep his eyes off him. He was perfection, looking as young as he had when Walter had first met him.

 

It took most of the formal dinner for Spender to say, “I have the feeling that you would like my naughty Toy back. I have nothing but the fondest wishes for your happiness, Son. I’ve been considering how we could work this situation out in a manner agreeable to us both. Somehow the zest is gone from owning this beautiful creature. I thought I would enjoy seeing him as tame as a lap dog, but he’s boring me now. How strange.”

 

“What do you want for him?” Mulder asked. 

 

“The usual answer is your soul,” Spender said, pressing Alex’s head to his thigh. Alex pushed back against his hand like a dog. 

 

“Stop that,” Walter snarled. 

 

“Walter, you surprise me. I thought my beautiful Toy meant nothing to you,” Spender said. “That’s what you told me when I offered his services to you in exchange for a few simple favors.”

 

That had Mulder staring at Walter. “I knew you had slept with him, but . . .”

 

“I slept with him, not knowing that Spender had sent him to me,” Walter admitted. “Spender offered him to me as a slave, a toy like he has made of him. I couldn’t accept that. What you and I have is a lovely game. I don’t want to own anyone in real life and Alex was already in love with you by that time.”

 

Walter saw Alex’s eyes rise. There was something in them, some spark of his former intelligence and determination. He wanted to say something, but his side long glance at Spender showed what restrained him.

 

“Spender, you can tell us what price we are to pay for Alex or I’m walking out of here now,” Mulder said.

 

“The young are so impatient,” Spender said.

 

Mulder shoved his plate and utensils away, standing as they clattered to the floor. “Walter, I’ve had enough. Let’s go.”

 

Surprised, Walter rose, trying not to look at the pathetic creature that Spender had made of the once spirited lover that Mulder and he had shared. 

 

Holding up his hand, Spender said, “Wait!”

 

The two paused, Walter’s hand on Mulder’s, supporting him, anchoring him. That was what Walter did best, lend his strength, his long term thinking, and his love to Mulder.

 

Spender said, “You can have Toy. All I need from you is a marrow transplant.”

 

“Fuck, no,” Mulder said.

 

“I already know you are a perfect match,” Spender begged. His hand tightened, wrenching back Alex’s hair and pulling it. The man at his feet cried out, tears pooled in his eyes.

 

Mulder followed the wrinkled and nicotine stained hand. He looked to his lover and Walter tried to convey he would support him either way.

 

“All right, but we take him with us tonight,” Mulder said. “You get your filthy hands off him now.”

 

Spender untangled his hand and pulled Alex to his feet. He shoved him toward us and said, “I’ll miss the fun I had with you, Toy, but I’m sure that these gentlemen will know how to play with you.”

 

“We’ll set him free,” Mulder said icily. “As soon as he has his shit together. You think I want what you have touched?”

 

“It never stopped you before,” Spender smirked. “Fowley, Marita, Alex . . . I could have had Walter, but he’s not my type.”

 

Taking off his coat, Walter covered Alex’s naked body. Mulder fumbled at the collar that Spender had fastened to Alex’s throat, but Alex cried out when he tried to remove it.

 

Spender said, “Best keep it until you can replace it with one of your own. Alex sees that collar as the only thing between him and the aliens.”

 

“You fucking bastard,” Mulder said. 

 

Taking Alex’s hand, Mulder stormed out of Spender’s dining room. Walter had to almost run to keep up with him. Sticking Alex in the back seat, Mulder climbed in front with his lover.

 

“He’s a big responsibility,” Walter said.

 

“We’ll just get him back to the United States and place him a hospital,” Mulder said.

 

 

The choked cry came instantly, “No, please, Master, please, no hospitals.” 

 

“Mulder, you took him out of there,” Walter said, “He’s your responsibility now.”

 

“What the hell am I supposed to do with him?” Mulder asked.

 

“You’ve explored being a slave with me,” Walter said. 

 

“Yeah,” Mulder said, voice glowing with pleasure.

 

“Now, it’s time for you to explore the other side. Alex needs a Master,” Walter continued. “He’s your slave.”

 

“But you and I,” Mulder said, “We don’t have that kind of relationship. We have a game, and, maybe, I let you help me find my limits.”

 

“And I never wanted you to be a true slave,” Walter said. “But right now Alex needs a real Master and you’ve been elected.”

 

“How do you fit in all of this?” Mulder asked.

 

“I’m his Master’s Master,” Walter said, letting humor into his voice. 

 

 

OooOooO

 

Walter had seen Alex a thousand times, a thousand ways, from the young agent and beautiful young lover to the mad creature he had executed in the garage. Walter had seen Alex’s face lost in lust and pleasure in his bed. Walter had seen it sneering as Alex forced him to do his bidding. Walter saw the stunned expression that Walter could kill Alex, his afreet, his beautiful demon, his incubus.

 

Walter had never seen him like this. Walter had never seen him, confused, frightened and wounded. He grieved for Alex. Walter wouldn’t see his worst enemy in this state. No matter how Walter felt at times, Alex had never been the worst of Walter’s enemies. Spender qualified for that role. Spender had pulled all the strings and made everyone dance. Even now, sick and dying again, Spender was trying to hold onto his power.

 

Mulder sat on the couch. Alex crouched at his feet, still naked, until Mulder pulled him up beside him. His hand on Alex’s face, Mulder said, “I remember wishing I had control of you, Alex, but it isn’t what I thought it would be.”

 

“Master,” Alex said. “My Master.”

 

“Shit,” Mulder said, turning unhappy eyes to me.

 

“We’re all tired,” Walter said, “Let’s just go to bed and work on the problem in the morning.”

 

Walter expected that Mulder would take Alex into their bed. Walter didn’t mind. It had been a long time since he had tasted Alex’s pleasures, but he still remembered how sweet Alex was in bed, a true submissive, but full of passion. Mulder however primly made up a bed on the couch for his slave.

 

“This is not for my sake,” Walter said. “I expected that Alex would sleep with us.” 

 

“Walter, how can he give consent? He’s broken. He’s not in his right mind,” Mulder said.

 

There was just a flash of expression in Alex’s face and Walter smiled at it. He said, “He’s still in there. There was never a time when you couldn’t have had him.”

 

“The same could be said for you,” Mulder replied, a little irritated.

 

When they had become lovers, Walter confessed to Mulder about the times he took his comfort with Alex. Sometimes, Walter had to admit that he took Alex because the man was there, available, and he never thought he could have Mulder. Alex didn’t refuse sex with Walter even when he was the one holding the palm pilot that kept him in line. Alex never gave Walter a hint that he didn’t enjoy it either.

 

 

“I’m not proud of using Alex,” Walter admitted. 

 

Walking over, Walter touched Alex’s hair and said, “I’m not sorry for the pleasure we had and I don’t think it was one sided.”

 

“No, Mas . . . Master’s Master, no, it wasn’t one sided,” Alex replied to Walter’s surprise.

 

Laughing at that, Mulder said, “Well, that establishes the pecking order, at least. Come on, Alex. You’ll want to clean up before bed. I think there’s an extra toothbrush in there. Tomorrow, we’ll find you some clothes to wear. I’m not taking you back to America naked.”

 

Alex was pouting when the lovers left him on the couch. 

 

OooOooO

 

“Mulder,” Walter whispered.

 

“Mmm, Walter,” Mulder murmured back, still sounding high on sex.

 

“Mulder, your slave is sleeping on the floor by our bed,” Walter said.

 

“He’s slept in worse places,” Mulder said, sounding increasingly grumpy.

 

“Not when you were responsible for him,” Walter said. “Being a Master is a duty.”

 

“You can have him,” Mulder said. “Cute little Alex slave.”

 

“Mulder . . .,” Walter said with the promise of a swat in his voice.

 

“Shit,” Mulder bitched, but got out of bed.

 

A moment later, Alex’s naked body was between Walter and Mulder. Mulder fended off the kisses that his slave bestowed on him and said, “Go to sleep. That’s an order.”

 

There was a sniffle of complaint, but Alex obeyed. He went to sleep.

 

OooOooO

 

Walter woke up in the morning to two voices, Alex’s low, husky pleading tones and the sound of a frustrated Mulder.

 

“No, Alex,” Mulder said, pushing Alex’s hands away.

 

“Please, Master,” Alex begged. “Please use me.”

 

Mulder said, “Alex, when we have sex, if we have sex, it will not be using. When you are well enough, I may make love to you, but not now. Not when you are like this.”

 

The response was Alex, not that of a shattered slave. “No one has touched me that regarded me as human. I’ve been handled like a slab of meat for over a year.” 

 

A moment later, Mulder sat in the bed, holding Alex. He rocked him, caressing his back. “Like this, Alex, like this for a start. You have to tell us what happened to you. That’s the start of getting better.”

 

Green eyes appraised Walter. Walter could tell Alex was wondering if he would revert to his old ways, hating him, but lusting after him, touching him with hands that clenched with rage at the thought of what he was doing. Sometimes Walter thought that was why everything had happened between them. So much pain between them . . .

 

“Mulder’s right,” Walter said. “You have a lot of work to do, Alex.”

 

“My name is Toy,” Alex said. “He named me Toy.”

 

“Your name is Alex, Alex Krycek,” Mulder said. “And you are going to be no man’s toy.”

 

Another spark showed in Alex’s eyes. Walter smiled. Alex was resilient. Walter trusted that the Russian would have kept a core of himself intact no matter what anyone did to him.

 

Mulder went out to get Alex some clothing. Not that Alex seemed to want any. He had never been modest or it had been trained out of him by the time that Walter had met him. Walter finally handed him a pair of Mulder’s shorts and a tee shirt. The skin show was started to get to him. There were too many old feelings and Alex was too willing.

 

Not that Walter would deny himself Alex forever, but he would wait for Mulder. Alex was Mulder’s first this time. 

 

OooOooO

 

Since Walter had sent his team home, they had a problem. Mulder had to go to the hospital to ‘donate’ his marrow and Walter didn’t think it was a good idea to leave Alex alone. He didn’t know what was happening inside Krycek, but the man was deeply wounded. Maybe too hurt to put back together no matter how hard they tried. That would be a waste, a terrible waste.

 

Head down, eyes on the floor, Alex was posing, a perfect picture of submission even though he sat on a couch instead of kneeling on the floor. Walter reached out his hand and said, “He’ll be all right. It’s a routine procedure.” 

 

“He shouldn’t be doing it at all,” Alex said. “Not for me. He should have left me with Spender.”

 

“You hate Spender,” Walter said. “You would have rather died rather than have that man touch you.”

 

“Yeah,” Alex said. “I would have found a way.”

 

“To die or kill him?” Walter asked.

 

“I don’t think I could have killed him,” Alex said. “The aliens fixed that. Dying is not the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Coming back . . . that was when it became hard.”

 

Leaning back into the stiff vinyl of the waiting room couch, Walter let his arm rest, almost, but not touching Alex. Alex looked at him and at his nod, moved closer. “I love Mulder. I really do.”

 

A swift glance down and then back. Ah, those eyes . . . Walter had always wondered at the difference between the man’s actions and the soul that shone through his eyes.

 

“You and I . . .” Alex said, “I thought maybe Spender would give me to you.”

 

“How would you have felt about that?” Walter asked. He looked at the clock, worried about Mulder. 

 

“You would have been my Master,” Alex said, evasive.

 

Walter gently moved Alex eyes back to meet his, his fingers gently turning the beautiful profile with the diminutive chin. “I’m Mulder’s Master.”

 

A brief glance, curiosity warring with concern.

 

“That surprises you?” Walter asked.

 

“Yes, Master’s Master,” Alex whispered, his body tensing for punishment.

 

“Surprised the hell out of me too,” Walter said. “I think it was a game for Mulder and then he found that he liked it. That it met his needs.”

 

“Then what I am for?” Alex asked.

 

“Feeling sorry for yourself?” Walter asked.

 

Silence and frightened eyes . . .

 

“I won’t be the one who punishes you,” Walter said. “Believe me; I never want to hurt you, Alex.”

 

Walter pulled Alex closer and Alex sighed, resting his head against Walter’s shoulder. Walter closed his eyes. It felt almost right. When Mulder was on his other side, that would be perfection.

 

OooOooO

 

A long plane trip later and they were finally home, three of them instead of the two that had left the comfortable home that Walter and Mulder shared.

 

Walter had spent the afternoon making sure that the larger guest room was set up for Alex. He wasn’t sure that Alex would ever really sleep in the bed, but he still wanted it to feel like a real bedroom for his former lover. Sighing, Walter looked around and realized that nothing could make the empty room feel as if it was much more personal than a hotel room. He had put the clothing they had bought for Alex into the dresser, hanging the one suit in the closet. He moved a few books that he remembered Alex enjoying so long ago. An old, but still functional CD player sat on the desk that matched the dresser. A few duplicates from Walter’s jazz collection rattled around in the case that Walter put next to the player. It was the best he could do. 

 

His own bedroom was a sick room for now. Mulder had not wanted to stay on Spender’s island one moment longer than necessary. They had rushed him from the ambulance to the plane and from the plane, home.

 

Alex’s mistreatment hadn’t destroyed the focus that Alex had always had. Alex liked to be the best at whatever he did. He played every role to the hilt. Currently, serving Mulder hand and foot seemed to be making Alex feel better. Lucky him, but Mulder still wasn’t happy. 

 

“Move the pillow again, Alex,” Mulder said.

 

“Yes, Master,” Alex said, carefully turning Mulder to fluff the pillow and arrange it with infinitesimal care. “How is that?”

 

“It’ll do for now,” Mulder replied, still sounding crabby.

 

“Master, may I speak?” Alex asked.

 

“I told you to cut that crap out,” Mulder said. “I don’t see the difference between just saying what you want and all this shit about asking to speak.”

 

“They trained us to do that in the marines too,” Walter pointed out. He wasn’t very pleased with Mulder, but how was Mulder to learn how to handle his slave if Walter didn’t let him learn by trial and error?

 

Confused, Alex pursed his lips, knelt gracefully, and suggested, “Master, you could request your master to punish me for you if your leg is too sore.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Mulder said, “You haven’t done anything wrong, Alex. I’m just bored and irritable. My hip aches and I don’t feel like doing anything.”

 

“I’m sorry, Master,” Alex said.

 

“Not as sorry as I am,” Mulder said. “You better be worth it.”

 

Restraining himself from telling Mulder that he was an asshole, Walter asked, “Do you need me for anything? I have some reports to read and I thought I would go into my study to work.”

 

“All you do is work,” Mulder snapped then said, “Sorry, Walter. Yeah, Alex can take care of me.”

 

“Good,” Walter said. “I won’t be too long. Do you want me to cook or shall I order Chinese?”

 

“I can cook Chinese,” Alex offered. “Or anything else you like. Spender wanted me to be a very useful slave not just a bed toy. I was taught everything from how to change a diaper to watch repair.”

 

“I’ll keep that in mind if I need a watch fixed or a diaper changed,” Walter said. “But Mulder likes take out. He thinks the paper cartons add a special flavor to the meal.”

 

“Yeah, I’d like takeout,” Mulder said, settling back in the pillows. He patted the bed and said, “Come here, Alex. You can be my teddy bear.”

 

That needed no second invitation. Walter said, “Don’t take that too far, Mulder. The doctor said to take it easy.”

 

“Nothing but cuddling, careful cuddling,” Mulder said. “Don’t worry.”

 

Famous last words, ‘don’t worry’.

 

Buried in his reading, Walter didn’t hear any angry words, but the sudden slap, a thump, and a cry of pain was loud enough to get his attention. Dropping a stack of reports on the floor, Walter’s long legs carried him back to his bedroom instantly. God dammed Alex had reverted to type. He knew he shouldn’t have fallen for the helpless act.

 

Except that it was Alex sprawled on the floor and his face wearing a large, red mark. It wasn’t a bitch slap either. Alex was holding his hand to a bleeding nose and no doubt that he was going to be sporting a shiner.

 

“Mulder, what the hell happened here?” Walter demanded.

 

“He jostled me,” Mulder complained. He looked ashamed and miserable. “It was instinct to hit back.”

 

“So you would have done the same to me?” Walter asked, reaching down to hand Alex a wad of tissue paper.

 

“No, no, of course not,” Mulder replied. “I trust you.”

 

“I’m going to get some ice for Alex’s nose and eye,” Walter said. “And then, I am going to very carefully prop you on your uninjured side and I am going to swat your ass.”

 

“You’re going to spank me for hitting him?” Mulder asked incredulously. “What’s the point of me being his master if I get swatted each time I punish him?”

 

“Punishment is one thing,” Walter reminded. “Punishment is considered. You don’t hit in anger. You spank to set limits.”

 

“I don’t get it,” Mulder muttered.

 

Trying to move out of the room, Walter found Alex in his way, kneeling in front of him. “Alex, sit in the chair and keep that tissue to your nose.”

 

“Master,” Alex said. “My Master’s Master, please don’t punish him. I was clumsy. He was right to hit me.”

 

“Don’t interfere with Mulder and myself,” Walter said.

 

Coming back with the ice, Walter found a naked, but very determined Alex standing in front of the bed.

 

“I think you should leave now,” Walter said.

 

“You’re not hitting him. He’s my master. I have to protect him,” Alex said. “You can punish me if you need to hit someone.”

 

It would have been amusing if Walter didn’t remember that Alex Krycek was a dangerous man. He was pissed at this situation, one he never expected to face, and was not sure how he could resolve it without someone getting hurt. 

 

“Alex, kneel,” Mulder said. 

 

Glancing back at his master, Alex frowned. “I have to protect you.”

 

“You have to obey me,” Mulder said. “Now, down!”

 

Slowly Alex lowered himself to the floor and bowed his head. Walter stepped by him and sank down on the bed.

 

“Shit,” Walter said. “Fuck.”

 

“You can say that again,” Mulder said.

 

“Alex, come here,” Mulder said.

 

Crawling like a whipped dog, Alex moved to the bed to Mulder’s side. “Now, Alex, you are going to stay and watch my lover spank me. You will not touch him. You will never, ever interfere with anything that Walter and I do together. Is that clear? Because if you do, I will send you away.”

 

“Back to him?” Alex asked. “Or them?”

 

“They are gone. The ship you were on was the last one,” Mulder said. “No, I won’t send you back to the aliens or to my father, but I will send you away to a home where they can take care of you.”

 

“I don’t want to leave you,” Alex said.

 

“And neither Walter nor I want you to go,” Mulder reassured.

 

Walter wasn’t as sure as Mulder sounded, but he put on a game face. He said, “Alex, go sit in the chair as you were told. Don’t move a muscle.”

 

“You really want him to stay for this?” Walter asked.

 

“Yes,” Mulder said. “I think he has to understand.”

 

The swats were mere token blows, but Mulder was tense enough after the confrontation to yell as if mortally wounded anyway. Tears streamed down Alex’s face as he sat trembling in the chair.

 

Mulder caught his breath and then said, “Alex, you really earned a major spanking. I’m not fit to apply it right now, so instead, I’m going to do something else. You are going to have a time out. You go to your room and you will stay there all night. No creeping back here. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes, Master,” Alex said.

 

There was no Chinese take out that night. Mulder and Walter ate soup. Alex refused food, miserable in his room, kneeling on the floor as if waiting for a whipping until Walter managed to get him to go to his bed.

 

Alone in bed for the first time since they had acquired Alex, Walter and Mulder both breathed sighs of relief.

 

“This is going to be very difficult,” Mulder said.

 

“Yes,” Walter said. “He must think I’m some kind of ogre to be so freaked out by the idea of me spanking you. Am I that bad?”

 

“Of course not,” Mulder assured. “But what Alex has experienced hasn’t been a game.”

 

“I know,” Walter said. “I had forgotten he was dangerous for a while.”

 

“The trick about riding a tiger is not to get off,” Mulder commented.

 

“Thanks for the advice,” Walter said. “This is going to be one wild ride, Mister Toad.”

 

“Indubitably, Badger, now that we have a rat in Toad Hall,” Mulder replied. “He is a very pretty rat though.”

 

“Yes, he is,” Walter agreed.

 

OooOooO

 

Morning found Mulder much refreshed, but Alex looked exhausted when Walter went to get him out of his room.

 

“Didn’t sleep?” Walter asked.

 

“No, Master,” Alex said.

 

“You used to call me Walter,” Walter reminded.

 

“Yes, sir,” Alex said.

 

“I would prefer that you call me Walter,” Walter said.

 

“Walter,” Alex said. His face wore an oil slick of colors from the green gloss of his shiner to the purple mark across his cheek.

 

“You didn’t really think I was going to hurt Mulder, did you?” Walter said. “I love him. He was the one who suggested that I spank him.”

 

“I know he liked that before,” Alex admitted, “but what you’re doing now is different. It’s punishment.”

 

“It’s still what Mulder wants,” Walter said. “I seem to remember you liked that game, too, unless you were acting when we were together.”

 

“No, I liked it,” Alex said. “A lot of what we had wasn’t acting, Walter.”

 

“I guessed that,” Walter said.

 

“Before he gave me to the aliens to have them fix me the way he wanted, Spender tried to break me himself,” Alex said. “There was nothing fun about that.”

 

“Was that before or after the scene in the basement?” Walter asked.

 

“Before,” Alex said. “Shooting Mulder was a test. Spender had no intention of killing his son. He just wanted to see if I would do it.”

 

“Would you have?” Walter asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Alex said. “My mind was already scrambled and I knew if I disobeyed where I was going next. It was like watching a puppet of myself acting out a sketch, but you cut the strings before it was done. Thank God.”

 

“I was sorry,” Walter said.

 

“You didn’t look sorry,” Alex said. “I didn’t remember much when I woke up, but Spender had a tape.”

 

“At that moment, I was relieved,” Walter said. “You had tortured me and threatened to kill Scully’s child. You looked as if you were going to shoot Mulder. What did you expect?”

 

“I expected what happened,” Alex said, but his eyelashes lowered, shading the expression in his eyes.

 

“It’s over now,” Walter said. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, but being here with Mulder should compensate you to some degree.”

 

“If Spender had let me stay dead, I would have been grateful to you,” Alex said. 

 

Surprising Walter, Alex stood up, kissing him on the cheek and embracing him. Walter acted on impulse and kissed Alex back, but on the lips. The taste of him was still what Walter remembered. His mouth was just as soft and his lips yielded as winningly. Alex’s hair was silken beneath Walter’s hand. Pressing near, Alex’s erection jutted into Walter’s answering one.

 

Pulling away, Walter said, “Thank you, Alex.”

 

Panting a little, Alex said, “But no thanks?”

 

“You have business with Mulder first,” Walter reminded.

 

Sullenly, Alex said, “If I don’t die of frustration first.”

 

“You’ll live,” said Walter. “Go wash up, dress, and we’ll have breakfast. Mulder is feeling better.”

 

A toss of his head showed that Alex was not quite the docile slave Spender had claimed. 

 

Good, thought Walter.

 

OooOooO

 

The house was clean. Mulder’s cooking night was a thing of the past, thank God for Walter’s digestion. The laundry was suddenly spotless. Walter scowled at his dry cleaning that someone had picked up from the cleaners without telling him.

 

Everyone should have an Alex about the house.

 

Mulder himself was nowhere in sight while Alex was sitting out on the patio, shirtless, sweat trickling down his back, and a bowl of peas to be shelled in his lap. He was singing to himself, something sad, but his voice was pleasant to hear. It was all so very domestic. Walter should buy the former assassin a frilly apron and be done with it. 

 

“Where’s Mulder?” Walter asked.

 

“Gunmen. They’re still afraid of me and asked Mulder not to bring me,” Alex said.

 

“Undead Geeks should fear nothing,” Walter said.

 

“Attack of the undead geeks,” Alex replied. “Saw it last week with Mulder.”

 

“I didn’t know you like bad movies, too,” Walter said.

 

“Mulder and I have a lot in common,” Alex said, “including bald, well-hung bossy types.”

 

That was a first. That was a blatant example of flirtation. Alex seemed very smug today and satisfied, rather like the cat that dipped the goldfish in cream before eating it.

 

“And what did you and Mulder do before he went off to visit the geeks?” Walter asked.

 

“This and that,” Alex said. “More of this than that.”

 

It was bound to have happened. Alex had been doing his damn best to make it happen and an Alex pulling out all stops to be sexy was a truly awesome sight.

 

“It’s about time,” Walter said. He leaned in the doorway, watching Alex work. “You want help with any of that?”

 

“Sure,” Alex said. 

 

Sitting next to his former lover, Walter reached into the bowl to take a handful of the peas. The crisp snap did it for him. He popped one into his mouth. “Good,” he said. 

 

“Yeah, I’ve eaten as many as I’ve put in the pot,” Alex confessed. He smiled at Walter and said, “Good day at work?”

 

“Not especially. Joint Staff meeting and Kersh was there,” Walter said.

 

“My commiserations,” Alex said.

 

“Yeah, I deserve them,” Walter said.

 

“Mulder said I should give you something for him,” Alex said.

 

“What?” Walter asked, expecting one of Mulder’s odd presents, anything from a guitar pic that was a prick to a sheet music signed by Ray Charles. 

 

“A blowjob,” Alex replied, sweetly.

 

Walter nearly dropped the peas.

 

“I should tan Mulder’s ass for that,” Walter said.

 

“It’s already tan,” Alex said. “He spent the afternoon sunbathing nude.”

 

Rolling his eyes, Walter stood and dumped the shelled peas into the bowl. “Mulder should mind his own business.”

 

The bowl started to shake. Alex said, “Sorry, Mas . . . Walter. I thought you wanted me.”

 

Ah, damn it. Stupid move, Walter. He sat back down and steadied the bowl for Alex. “Alex, I’m not angry with you. I’m angry for you. Mulder is your master, but that’s not a reason to offer you favors like you were a dish of candy to hand around.”

 

“I’m not candy,” Alex said, “I’m not Toy either. I know that now. I’m better, a lot better. Well enough to know what I want. It was something Mulder and I talked about, but I wanted to do it. It was my idea.”

 

Great. Put your foot in this one, Walter. Walter said, “I’m sorry. I jumped to a conclusion. Mood spoiled now?”

 

Walter was curious what Alex would say. Toy would never decline sex. Alex might.

 

There was an interior struggle before Alex won. He said, “Yeah, but I’ll let you seduce me sometime soon.”

 

“Flowers, chocolate, fine wine?” Walter asked.

 

“Yeah,” Alex said. “And lots of foreplay.”

 

“Deal,” said Walter.

 

Grabbing some more peas, Walter tried not to think what he has so foolishly declined. Damn.

 

OooOooO

 

Sitting out on the porch, which was a very fine porch, indeed, just exactly the porch Walter had always wanted with broad steps, a sun shade, and a coat of good white paint, Alex said, “You know how you said I should ask for something I wanted?”

 

“Yes,” Mulder said. “Did you think of something besides more sex?”

 

“Mmm hmm,” Alex purred. “A porch swing. I always wanted a porch swing and not one of those flimsy one either. I want one strong enough to hold all three of us, even if we’re necking.”

 

“Necking?” Walter repeated, laughing at the incongruous word from supposedly sophisticated Alex.

 

“Yes,” Alex said, “Strong enough for making out.”

 

“Are we missing our adolescence these days, Alex?” Walter asked.

 

“Yeah,” Alex said, “The one I should have had, all about discovery, even the ones that are hard to take, like coming to terms with being gay.”

 

“A porch swing would be nice,” Mulder said, turning around to look speculatively at the porch roof. “It would work. That beam is strong enough to swing a pair of bull elephants.”

 

“Are you saying I need more time in the gym?” Walter asked.

 

“No, I think you are getting enough exercise there and here,” Mulder said.

 

“Could get more,” Alex added. “Here.”

 

Walter smiled. He wanted it to be special for both of them, something to take away the dark edge between them. He wasn’t sure what and where, but it was worth anticipating. Meanwhile, Walter took a kiss as a promise of the future. “I think we should go find a hardware store and pick out the materials.”

 

“Damn, I never thought it would come to this, suburbia, house hubbies going to the Home Depot hand in hand. Hey, Skippy Rat, think we should get some lace curtains while we’re there.”

 

“Fuck you very much, Mulder,” Alex said.

 

“Oh, nasty mouth, I wonder if I should wash that out.” Mulder asked.

 

Alex’s flinch said that he was not as bold as he pretended.

 

Mulder said, “Joking, Alex, just joking.”

 

“I know,” Alex said, but his smile was weak.

 

“I like it when you cuss at me,” Mulder said, “Turns me on.”

 

“Everything turns you on, Mulder,” Walter said.

 

“Which is the wonderful thing about Mulders,” Mulder replied, presenting the world with one of his more charming smiles.

 

“Porch swing, it is,” Walter said. “I’ll drive.”

 

Mulder snorted to that. He has mentioned that he suspected that Walter did not like his driving. It was true. Alex agreed with Walter. Mulder behind the wheel made Alex look green around the gills.

 

The home depot didn’t have a porch swing they liked, but a smaller hardware store run by a dear little old man had a lovely one. Walter enjoyed an hour of intense discussion about how best to stain the wood and what kind of supports would contribute to the proper installation of the swing. He barely noticed Mulder and Alex yawning and finding matching lawn chairs in which to nap. They bought those too.

 

It took the rest of the day to install the swing. Mulder had no skills. Alex had them, but was having minor trouble with his robotic arm. He tried to help, but the arm malfunctioned enough for him to be only good for the unskilled labor. Walter still enjoyed the experience. He loved having a house in which to putter. He finally felt like a real man like his father. 

 

Of course, his father didn’t have two beautiful men with whom to cuddle after completing a manly deed. Bad luck for his dad.

 

OooOooO

 

“Are you sure that you’ll be all right?” Mulder asked his slave.

 

“Yes, Mulder, I thought I would practice on my guitar all day. I’ve almost mastered those new chords that Walter was teaching me,” Alex replied.

 

“Is there anything you want? I’m not planning on making a long day of it,” Mulder said. 

 

Smiling shyly, Alex said, “No, Mulder, funny to think of you planning to come home early. I remember . . .”

 

Alex stopped there.

 

“I kept you in the office late back when we were . . . partners,” Mulder said.

 

“Yes, Master,” Alex said.

 

“I’d look over at you and you would look so tired and young that I’d think I should carry you home and put you to bed,” Mulder said fondly.

 

“Well, you did put me to bed a couple times,” Alex replied.

 

Mulder’s laugh was a pleasure to hear.

 

Walter said, “You get those chords and we’ll give Mulder a concert tonight.”

 

“Thanks for getting me the guitar,” Alex said, “And for teaching me. Master’s Master?”

 

“What is it, Alex?” Walter asked.

 

“May I have a kiss goodbye today?” Alex asked sweetly.

 

With a glance at Mulder who nodded, Walter stepped closer to Alex and pulled him into an embrace. Those lips … that sweet, small, but plump mouth yielded to him. Walter’s hands found Alex’s ass and explored gently while they kissed.

 

Parting, Walter wished he didn’t have to work today. Alex was doing so well that Walter felt it was past time to move their relationship along on a few more steps. He took a deep breath as he thought about having Mulder and Alex in his bed. Now that was worth living for!

 

Unfortunately, duty was an irresistible call to Walter. It would have to wait.

 

After a long day at work, Walter hardly expected to come home to a clean, but empty kitchen and one less slave than was supposed to reside there.

 

“I never told him that he couldn’t go out,” Mulder said. “He hasn’t asked either. I thought he was content here.”

 

“He may have just gone out to buy something,” Walter reasoned. “You always leave money here in case he needs something.”

 

“I keep hoping that he gets to the point of telling us what he needs instead of us having to guess,” Mulder said.

 

If Walter hadn’t decided he wanted a bottle of wine to go with the steaks they decided to broil, who knows when they would have found him. There was a small closet that had once been a root cellar and still had the virtue of being cooler than the rest of the basement. Walter dubbed it his wine cellar even if all he had was one rack of wine to put in it. The play room was next to it. Neither Mulder nor Walter was seriously into the toys that furnished the room, but it amused Mulder to own them. Once in a while, they used them, but not since Alex had arrived back in their lives. There hadn’t been time and, besides, this long, slow process toward a three way relationship was tantalizing enough without fun and games.

 

Coming back with the wine, Walter noticed that the key was in the lock of the play room ... He frowned and said, “Mulder, did you leave that there the last time we played?”

 

“No, Master,” Mulder said, switching into his submissive charade. “I would never do that.”

 

“I thought I saw the key where it belonged the other day,” Walter mused. He tried the knob and found it was unlocked. 

 

Opening the door, Walter switched on the light and found Alex kneeling on the floor, forehead on the cold concrete. “Alex? Alex, what are you doing in here?”

 

“Waiting, Master’s Master,” Alex replied in a voice grown hoarse from the cold.

 

“For what?” Walter asked.

 

“For my Master to play with me,” Alex said.

 

Mulder looked around him as if his little fantasy room was suddenly an antechamber of hell. He said, “Alex, this room belongs to Walter and myself. We do scenes here when we feel like it. The only way I would play games like this with you would be if we had talked about it and both decided we wanted it.”

 

“I want you to hurt me, Master,” Alex said, his voice rough and trembling. “I’m asking you for it.”

 

“Shit,” Mulder said, getting on the floor to pull Alex into a tight embrace. “No, you don’t want this. Come on. Get up. You’re cold as ice. You need a hot bath and a warm bed.”

 

The steaks were overdone due to the time it took to get Alex out of the room and into their bed. As Walter finished chewing what would have been a good piece of T-Bone, he said, “You need to spank him for taking the key. “

 

Giving up after a few mouthfuls of dry, scorched steak, Mulder said, “Yeah, you’re right about the spanking. I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.”

 

At Walter’s look, Mulder said, “I can’t spank him when he looks like a kicked puppy.”

 

“We’ll see,” Walter said. “As I recall Alex could do puppy dog eyes when we were down to the last piece of chocolate too.”

 

Mulder snorted at that comment and said, “Yeah, I remember that, too. There was a time Alex had me wound around his little finger, but I can handle him now. I know his tricks and this isn’t one of them.”

 

OooOooO

 

It was important to Mulder that Alex agree to be spanked and, of course, Mulder also wanted it to be Alex talking . . . not Toy. Damn, Mulder liked his world complex.

 

Walter was treated to the sight of his lover cuddling with his former lover, wrapped around Alex like a human blanket. 

 

“Why did you take the key, Alex?” Mulder asked softly.

 

“Because,” Alex said. He frowned and moved fretfully. “Why does it matter? I know I was wrong!”

 

“I want to understand you,” Mulder insisted.

 

“What’s there to understand?” Alex said raggedly. “I just do things. God Damn it, Mulder, what do you want from me? I belong to you. I’m your slave. You tell me what to do and whatever you want, it’s okay. That’s how it works.”

 

“Nope,” Mulder said. “Come on, Alex. Use your head. Answer me. Why did you do it?”

 

Having one of those flashes of insight, Walter said, “Alex, you were always looking for secrets. Secrets you could use to keep yourself safe.”

 

“Not just me,” Alex said. “All of us. It was what I did and I guess when I saw that key, I had to know. I know it doesn’t make sense, but it was like I knew you were hiding something from me. Then I saw the room . . .”

 

“And you decided we were softening you up, making you trust us, and then what?” Mulder asked.

 

“Then when I started to feel human again, you would make me a toy. I would be Toy again,” Alex said, his lip quivering and tears forming in his eyes.

 

“Not going to happen,” Mulder said. “Hell, I’ll get rid of that stuff if it frightens you.”

 

“No,” Alex said, “Please don’t. It was stupid. I won’t do it again.”

 

Letting a sigh quaver from his chest, Alex tilted his chin resolutely a moment later. “I’m ready now. Punish me, Master.”

 

Although Walter started to leave, Mulder shook his head and said, “See me through this, Walter.”

 

It was about Alex, too, so Walter looked at Mulder’s slave and asked, “Should I stay?”

 

“Yeah,” Alex said. “We’re all together in this. That’s what you said.”

 

Walter reflected on his big mouth, but nodded. He leaned against the door, waiting.

 

Sliding off his boxers, Alex draped himself over his Master’s lap. It was hard not to see the sex inherent in the scene. Walter wished it was a playful spanking and not a serious one. Alex had such a beautiful ass and he was temptation in human form, lying there trembling slightly over Mulder’s lap.

 

His face twisted as he concentrated, Mulder said, “You ask before you take things, Alex.”

 

“Yes, Master,” Alex said.

 

Mulder’s hand hit hard. It was a good first effort.

 

“And you don’t assume that Walter and I are harboring some deep, dark wish to torture and humiliate you,” Mulder added, swinging again and landing a resounding blow in counterpoint to the first.

 

Alex was yelling at this point. He had always been vocal about pain, one of those people who could endure pain, but not one who minded letting you know that it hurt.

 

Mulder’s lips drew into a thin line and he frowned as he slammed down several more resounding blows. 

 

It hurt, Walter could tell, but Alex was also gasping for another reason. He was hard as a rock when Mulder finished with him. He wasn’t the only one. Mulder’s expression was interesting as he tried to comfort his lover and slave. Walter could tell he was interested in the reaction, but trying to remain in tight control.

 

It must have been a heroic effort to send Alex to take a cold shower. Mulder reiterated that it was to be a very cold shower.

 

Flopping back against his pillows, Mulder said, “This is a hell of a lot harder than it sounded and not half as much fun. It’s a responsibility.”

 

“Yes, it is,” Walter agreed. “You could always give up.”

 

“You ever get tempted to bail on me?” Mulder asked. 

 

“Yes,” Walter admitted, “But then I remember what my life was like without you. I’m going to go grab a shower too, but not a cold one.”

 

Which is how Walter found Alex in front of the mirror, holding Walter’s straight razor to his long, beautiful throat.

 

Training, skill, and years of dealing with human tragedy kept Walter calm. He softly said, “Alex, do you want to talk to me or to Mulder about this?”

 

“Neither,” Alex said. “I just want it over. It hurts too damn much. It’s too confusing. I used to know the rules. I used to know my place. Now you and Mulder keep telling me I’m something I don’t fucking know how to be. I know how to be a slave. Make me a real slave. Hurt me. Use me. Stop treating me like a real person.”

 

“That’s my razor, you know,” Walter said. “I’d like you to put it down.”

 

“I’d be out of your life,” Alex said. “Hell, you can fuck me once and then slit my throat. I’m disposable.”

 

“No way in hell,” Walter said. “Today, when I left, I was looking forward to making love to you. Making love, not just fucking.”

 

“You have Mulder,” Alex said, but he put the razor down.

 

“I have Mulder. He has me. We wanted you. Don’t you think that we agreed that we both did before we made that bargain with Spender?” Walter said.

 

“Sometimes, I think you would do anything to keep Mulder,” Alex said as Walter took the razor.

 

Alex leaned over the sink, his knees buckling. He said, “Don’t tell Mulder, Walter. I don’t want to make him worry. I won’t do it. I was just thinking about it.”

 

“That’s not the way it works,” Walter said. He stepped closer and said, “I’d like to hug you.”

 

Alex turned into Walter's arms and held tight for a long while until Walter walked him to the big bed where Mulder waited. 

 

“Now you tell him,” Walter said.

 

“No, I can’t,” Alex said.

 

“I can’t,” Alex whispered as he knelt by the bed.

 

Picking him up, Walter dumped Alex on the bed, almost into Mulder’s lap. “You tell him, boy. Now!”

 

The voice was one Walter had borrowed from his marine sergeant. Damn best thing he ever took with him from the marines.

 

“Mulder, I had Walter’s razor,” Alex said. “He jumped to a conclusion. I wasn’t going to cut myself. You know how he is.”

 

At that point, Walter was thinking of taking Alex’s discipline into his own hands if Mulder didn’t act.

 

“Alex, you think I believe that?” Mulder said. “Why are you lying to me?”

 

“I always lie,” Alex said.

 

“Not to get Star Trekky on you, but that’s the biggest lie you ever told,” Mulder said.

 

Alex received his second spanking of the night. It must have been what he needed because he was asleep before Mulder’s hand was cold. 

 

“You want me to move him to his bed?” Mulder asked.

 

For an answer, Walter climbed into the bed on Alex’s other side and said, “He’ll be safe here.”

 

Mulder smiled at those words and said, “Night, Walter. Sorry it didn’t turn out the way we hoped.”

 

“Yeah,” Walter said, “Tomorrow we make him an appointment with a psychiatrist. This is beyond our level.”

 

“All right,” Mulder said. “Love you.”

 

“Love you, too,” Walter replied.

 

OooOooO

 

Alex wasn’t happy with the news that he was going to get professional help. In fact, he had a full blown temper tantrum, swearing in so many languages that Walter lost count. Very talented creature, Krycek. Very talented and very screwed up. What did it say about Walter and Mulder that they were both as in love with him as they were with each other?

 

Several specialists later, they found one that they all agreed would work.

 

The first two psychiatrists had quit when Alex had one of his feral moments. The third disapproved of the discipline relationship. Mulder thought number four looked at Alex too much . . . Walter hadn’t noticed it, but Mulder was calling the shots. 

 

Finally Jeff Spender suggested his mother’s doctor. Doctor Marma was a specialist in working with abductees. He had personal experience in his field as well as training with people who had been through extreme trauma. 

 

Walter was amused that the very Italian Doctor Marma was known for prescribing vacations in Italian villas for his more affluent clients. For some reason, that appealed to Walter if only because he enjoyed good wine and Italian food.

 

“He’s surprisingly intact,” Marma said, his sensuous lips pursing under his well trimmed mustache. “He had a very well protected ego despite repeated traumas. He was a beloved child for his first eight years. He saw his parents fight to keep him which helped him to emotionally survive the experience of being taken by the project. His intelligence, his health, and great genetic background helped him to adapt without losing a core of self.”

 

“Then why is he so self destructive?” Mulder asked.

 

A case of the pot calling the kettle black if you asked Walter.

 

Marma shrugged and said, “That’s something we’re working on.”

 

An answer nearly as evasive as the best non-answers from Spender.

 

OooOooO

 

There were no more incidents with sharp objects. Alex seemed to be in a thinking period, not clinging as much, spending a lot of time with the guitar Walter had given him or merely sitting on the wraparound porch and staring off into the distance.

 

Walter found Mulder standing to one side of the big front bay window that Mulder had asked to have built after falling in love with the one at the hotel, the only thing besides Alex that Mulder liked about his father’s island.

 

Putting his arms around his lover, Walter waited until Mulder leaned back into him. “He’s going to be okay. He’s tough. I went through something like this, too. The shock of having lived through all of this shit gets to you. One of the things all three of us have in common is that we are too damn stubborn to lie down and die. Eventually, he’s going to decide to live.”

 

“You don’t think it was seeing the play room?” Mulder asked. “He seemed fine until then.”

 

“I think he was playing a role again,” Walter said. “He fooled us, but not himself. I think having that reaction made him realize that he was damaged. It frightened him to a point where he thought dying was easier than getting well.”

 

“He is getting better now,” Mulder said, “and not just protecting.”

 

About that time, Alex marched in and said, “I’m not going to see that quack anymore. You can spank me until your hand falls off, Mulder.”

 

“Too bad,” Mulder said. “If you won’t work with Marma, you don’t get fucked. I’m cutting you off.”

 

The shock in Alex’s eyes was almost comical. Then he recovered and said, “Fine, I don’t need it. Your loss.”

 

Mulder smirked. Walter kept his face blank, but he was laughing on the inside. Alex wasn’t the celibate kind. Walter bet it wouldn’t last a week.

 

OooOooO

 

Wrong, but only by a few days. First, Alex tried seduction. He was damn good at it, too. That ass could make a straight guy rethink his options when Alex was just walking across the room. An Alex trying to be sexy was down right dangerous to the het/queer balance of nature.

 

Mulder wasn’t planning on celibacy for the week and Alex’s teasing made sure of it. Mulder and Walter screwed until they were both almost raw. It was a sacrifice that Walter wouldn’t mind making more often . . .

 

 

Of course, Alex didn’t give up easily. He started having convenient nightmares that necessitated him sleeping between them. That was easy enough to handle if you were planning on having a threesome anyway. When they felt like it, Walter and Mulder moved around the intruder in their bed and carried on as if he wasn’t there. Somehow, Alex always found a reason to leave the room. He took lots of showers that week.

 

The crying bit almost worked. Hell, Walter could have fallen for it himself. If Alex had cried on his balcony instead of toughing it out, he would have ended up in Walter’s bed and never would have lost that arm. Walter couldn’t stand to see his lovers cry. He was happy that Mulder never pulled that one.

 

If Alex hadn’t been so horny that his timing was off, it might have worked, but reaching down to unzip Mulder in the first five minutes of being rocked in his lap was a dead give away.

 

Of course, it did earn Alex another spanking, not much of a punishment because he managed to come from it. 

 

Sulking for two days after that, Alex was on Mulder’s last nerve. Sweet little Slave boy Alex had a mouth on him when he was thwarted. Walter was thinking about volunteering to clean tiger’s cages at the zoo. Even that struck him as safer than being home with pissed off Mulder and pissed off Alex. 

 

Well, Walter was a diplomat as well as a soldier. You don’t get to be an assistant director without a bank of people skills even if you do still bark at subordinates like the marine you once were.

 

Dropping brochures on the table, Walter started to thumb through them with Mulder.

 

Like a rat smelling cheese, Alex stopped trying to look pretty in the window seat and came sniffing around.

 

“Are we going to Italy?” Alex asked. “Doctor Marma told me a lot about Italy. He made it sound like paradise.”

 

“Mulder and I may be going to Italy,” Walter said.

 

“Scully and Doggett would probably baby sit Alex for me,” Mulder said.

 

“What? No way! I don’t need a baby sitter!” Alex shouted.

 

“You are a slave,” Mulder reminded. “A very bad disobedient one whose ass I would tan if it didn’t make him so damn horny.”

 

“Walter,” Alex said. 

 

Alex whined. Damn, Alex never whined no matter how much you hurt him.

 

“Please, Walter, tell my Master that he has to take me with him. How can he be my master if we’re not together?” Alex said.

 

Walter understood that Alex was trying to get him to pull rank on Mulder. Cute, very cute.

 

“It’s for your own good, Alex,” Walter said. “Of course, if Doctor Marma thought it would be good for you to go to Italy....”

 

Alex knew what was going on, but Walter could see him bargaining with himself.

 

“You’re trying to bribe me,” Alex accused.

 

“Yes,” Walter said, thumbing a brochure.

 

“You could just make me go to the shrink,” Alex said to Mulder.

 

“I could. I probably could even order you to work with him,” Mulder said. “I don’t think that would do much good.”

 

“Spender had a lot of those assholes working with him, telling him how to fuck with my head,” Alex said.

 

“But I’m not Spender,” Mulder pointed out. “I’m your lover.”

 

“You’re my Master,” Alex said, sinking to his knees in front of Mulder. He leaned his head against Mulder’s torso, his arms, the one of flesh and the robotic one, grasping Mulder’s hips.

 

There was a long silence and then Alex said, “And my lover.”

 

Another passage of words unsaid.

 

Alex added, “And you are my love.”

 

Then Alex looked at Walter, a look of such longing that Walter knew that there was going to be a time when it truly was all three of them.

 

“I want to go to Italy,” Alex said.

 

“I know,” Mulder said.

 

“I want to live,” Alex added. “I don’t want to fucking die. I want to live.”

 

“I know that, too,” Mulder said.

 

The three of them slept together that night. Tomorrow Alex would return to Doctor Marma. 

 

Someday soon, they would go to Italy and the sun would shine on them.

 

The shadows were already fleeing.

 

 

The end.

 

 

Continued in:

 

La Dolce Vita

 

http://www.fhsarchive.com/autoarchive/viewstory.php?sid=990

 

 

Sweet Stuff

 

http://www.fhsarchive.com/autoarchive/viewstory.php?sid=989


End file.
